Senior Project Manager, Sterility Assurance & Capital Projects

Planet Pharma; Bradley (IL); On-site; USD 165,000 - 193,000; Full time

Job summary

Planet Pharma is seeking a Senior Project Manager to lead a portfolio of sterilization assurance and capital projects in Bradley, IL. This contract consultant role requires extensive GMP-regulated experience in aseptic manufacturing, with oversight from planning through commissioning and qualification.

The ideal candidate brings a track record of managing large capital programs, cross-functional teams, and complex facility modernization initiatives in sterile environments.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of pharmaceutical/biotechnology experience.
• 10+ years leading large capital projects or engineering programs.
• Experience in sterile manufacturing or aseptic processing environments.
• Experience supporting commissioning and qualification activities.
• Demonstrated leadership of multidisciplinary technical teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead multiple concurrent capital and engineering projects.
• Direct project teams through planning, design, procurement, construction, commissioning, and qualification.
• Manage project schedules, budgets, risks, and resource allocation.
• Facilitate design reviews and technical decision-making with stakeholders.
• Develop project execution plans, user requirements, risk assessments, and documentation.
• Coordinate activities across Engineering, Quality, Validation, Manufacturing, Facilities, and Operations.
• Drive issue resolution and escalation management.
• Ensure GMP and quality requirements throughout project execution.
• Develop and present executive-level project status updates.
• Manage external engineering firms, contractors, and service providers.

Skills

Leadership

GMP Knowledge

Project Management

Cross-functional Team Leadership

Risk & Resource Management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Job description

Senior Project Manager, Sterility Assurance & Capital Projects

Location: Bradley, IL (100% Onsite)
Duration: October 2026 - December 2028
Employment Type: Contract Consultant

Consultant Compensation

Target Pay Rate: $120-$140/hour

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Senior Project Manager to lead a portfolio of engineering, facility, and manufacturing improvement projects supporting sterile pharmaceutical operations. This individual will oversee multiple workstreams from project planning through design, execution, commissioning, qualification, and operational readiness.

The ideal candidate will bring extensive experience leading large pharmaceutical capital projects within GMP-regulated environments, including aseptic manufacturing, cleanroom operations, facility modernization, and cross-functional engineering programs.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead multiple concurrent capital and engineering projects.
• Direct project teams through planning, design, procurement, construction, commissioning, and qualification.
• Manage project schedules, budgets, risks, and resource allocation.
• Facilitate design reviews and technical decision-making with engineering and operational stakeholders.
• Lead development of project execution plans, user requirements, risk assessments, and supporting project documentation.
• Coordinate activities across Engineering, Quality, Validation, Manufacturing, Facilities, and Operations groups.
• Drive issue resolution and escalation management.
• Ensure compliance with GMP and quality requirements throughout project execution.
• Develop and present executive-level project status updates.
• Manage external engineering firms, contractors, and service providers.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related technical discipline.
• 15+ years of pharmaceutical or biotechnology experience.
• 10+ years leading large capital projects or engineering programs.
• Experience within sterile manufacturing or aseptic processing environments.
• Strong background in project engineering and design management.
• Experience supporting commissioning and qualification activities.
• Demonstrated leadership of multidisciplinary technical teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Annex 1 compliance remediation experience.
• Fill-finish manufacturing experience.
• Biologics manufacturing experience.
• Cleanroom facility upgrade experience.
• Sterility assurance initiatives.
• Facility expansion or modernization projects.
• Experience managing projects exceeding $10MM.